For the First Time
by XxLadyStrengthxX
Summary: She's all laid up in bed with a broken heart, while I'm drinking Jack all alone in my local bar, and we don't know how we got in to this mad situation; only doing things out of frustration. Trying to make it work, but man, these times are hard. - Ezria!


**A/N: Oneshot(: It's Ezria, also known as the best couple ever to exist! :D Ezra POV!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PLL or the song **_**For the First Time**_**.**

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><p>"<em>She's all laid up in bed with a broken heart, while I'm drinking Jack all alone in my local bar, and we don't know how…how we got in to this mad situation; only doing things out of frustration. Trying to make it work, but man, these times are hard." ~The Script<em>

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><p>I'm not exactly sure what possessed me into making a special trip over to the Montgomery household earlier today. It truely was impulsive, because I hadn't thought about the idea for more than thirty seconds before swiping my keys from the table and dashing out the door. I'd been feeling empty for the past few days; starting with the day of the Hollis faculty mixer, where Aria left me to stand dumbly after accusing me of lying to her.<p>

Next was the following day at school, with the rumors of Ian Thomas spreading like wildfire and causing Aria to officially shut me out. Then when she showed up at my apartment, I figured I had somewhat of a chance. She wasn't alone, I reminded her, and pin-pointedly added in the fact that she had _me. _My hopes of Aria coming to her senses and staying for the remainder of the Saturday vanished into thin air the moment she headed towards the door. Rejection immediately flowed through my veins once more as she used 'spending time with her family' as an excuse not to call her. Afterwards, it barely registered in my mind that Aria was speaking to me while standing on my doormat. She was already swiftly speeding down the hall before I had a chance to ask 'what?'; something about Monday was the only part embedded into my memory.

Monday came slowly, especially after a whole Sunday full of boredom; grading papers was – unfortunately – the highlight of my day. My phone buzzed once around two in the afternoon, and I practically jumped out of my position from the couch to run halfway across the apartment just to see who had contacted me. I huffed out of pure annoyance, for the sender had only been Hardy. _Hey man! What's up? Wanna get together sometime soon? _was not exactly the ideal text message I was anxiously waiting to receive.

When I stepped into my classroom Monday morning, I was expecting tension to be in the air; so much that my class and I would practically be suffocating, but that wouldn't be their faults. This whole ordeal was between me and Aria, and the rest of her classmates shouldn't have to feel the awkwardness surrounding the room. However, the atmosphere seemed clear as the teenagers conversed freely amongst themselves. I peered over to the corner in which Aria and her friends always started their day off, but to my surprise, only Hanna, Emily, and Spencer were seated.

Aria wasn't.

I swallowed thickly, and ran a rough hand through my hair. I wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or worried about the fact that the love of my life was not present. Both emotions flooded my mind to the point that I was nearly unable to construct a coherent sentence. "Um, uh, class, we'll – uh – be reading –"

"Are you alright, Mr. Fitz?" Noel Kahn had asked, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion. He glanced over quickly to Aria's empty seat, then haughtily smirked.

"I'm fine, Mr. Kahn, thank you," I answered confidently. "Pages 204 through 211 is what we will be discussing today, so I hope you read, because participation is what your grade will be based on today."

Literally three-fourths of the class groaned, and I secretly joined them in my mind. After the period came to a close, Hanna stalked over to my desk and practically demanded, "I need the lesson plans for Aria; she's sick."

"Is she okay, Miss Marin?" I asked innocently, although, I'm sure concern was obviously evident.

"She'll live," was all I received from the spunky blonde.

I shook off the heated remark and responded, "Tell her to read chapters fourteen and fifteen then paraphrase each. All we're doing is discussing out loud; I just want to make sure she understands what is being laid out in front of her."

Hanna nodded, completely missing the double meaning within my words. Maybe she did catch them, but ignored it in the sake of trying to hide the fact that she was aware of mine and Aria's relationship. I know that Aria has told her friends; I'm not stupid, and so far I've let Aria lie to me when I ask if she's told anyone, only because her friends are safe. There is just something about the way those four girls connect... I'm not sure what it is, and part of me doesn't want to find out.

Another long day of teaching brought me back to the safety of my studio apartment. Thoughts of Aria had been in and out of my mind all day: was she really sick or was it some excuse to not see me? I had to know, and I just frankly had to see her; two days without her compared to twenty years in my book.

Grading papers had gotten old and boring by that point, so I abruptly stood up and stormed out of 3B. I was in a daze the entire drive, the radio playing softly in the background as it normally did; however, the even quieter humming that Aria usually added to the tune did not magically appear. That pretty much killed the mood altogether, and it allowed to me shut off the radio completely, then drowning me in silence.

I parked in front of the Montgomery home and exited the car without any trace of hesitance. The length of the sidewalk seemed to stretch even further with ever step I took, making the walk seem nearly double than reality. I pushed the doorbell twice out of impatience, and just as I was about to press it for a third time, Ella opened the door. "Ezra, what are you doing here?"

_Shit, I never came up with an excuse for being here... _"I, err, came to see how Aria was feeling?" The answer slipped from my mouth as more of a question, rather than a firm explanation.

"Oh, that's sweet of you! Come on in!" she exclaimed thoughtfully. Ushering me inside, she added, "I just pulled cookies out of the oven. If you want any, I'd get them now; Mike has a friend over and they will eat them in three minutes flat!"

I chuckled at her comment while following her into the kitchen. "No, thank you, Ella. If you don't mind me asking, what is it that's keeping Aria at home?"

Ella began scraping the cookies onto a plate before replying, "She claims it's her stomach, but she hasn't vomited once. Sometimes it's her head, or a runny nose, too. She doesn't have a fever, but I didn't make her go to school because she practically _begged_ to stay at home. You can see her, that is, if you want to."

"If you don't mind," I stated while slowly edging toward the staircase.

"By all means." But I was gone before I even heard her say anything in return. Aria's door was wide open, my guess being so Ella could randomly check on her throughout the day. Her back faced my direction, and I could hear the faintest sound of music coming from her earphones. The song was _Happiness_; it was our song.

Maybe she did still love me, but was entirely too stubborn and headstrong for her own liking. Perhaps, somewhere deep within her, there's a small voice screaming at her to run back into my arms; run back to way things are suppose to be, but she will ignore it as if it didn't exist.

I looked down at what could be mistaken as a pile of snow but what actually tissues. Either she had an insanely, runny nose or she'd been crying – all day long. I came to the conclusion that it was crying when I heard a hiccupped sob escape her lips, which was followed by more small whimpers.

Aria Montgomery wasn't sick, just dealing with heartbreak...and it was my entire fault.

I figured there was no point in making my presence known, for that might only lead to fighting, and her mom was just one floor below us. From the stories Aria has told me, voices are carried easily through the vents, which is why she and Mike would often leave the house when their parents would begin to argue.

I sauntered down the stairs quietly, and reentered the kitchen to inform Ella that I was leaving. "Oh, that didn't last long!"

"She was asleep," I lied with a shrug of my shoulders.

"Should I mention that you stopped by?"

"N-NO, that's not necessary. Thank you again for letting me into your home, Ella," I added kindly, flashing my boyish smile.

She gave a cheeky grin in return. "Anytime, Ezra, it's no trouble at all. Come whenever you'd like to; you're no stranger to our family!"

I left shortly after, and now I am currently sitting at the Hollis bar, Snookers. I have no idea what brought me to this particular bar, especially since it's the one Aria and I first met in. You'd think that it'd be the _last_ place I'd want to come to and think things over. The bartender gives me my drink and I gulp down half of it in seconds. The burn from the alcohol soothes my throat in an indescribable way and I hiss while setting down the glass. The clanging noise it makes when hitting the tabletop pulls me back into my thoughts.

It's hard to think that I'm the one trying to convince Aria that we can make our relationship work. Normally, under any other circumstance, the roles would be reversed, and she would be attempting to convince that the spark could always reignite. Now, it's me doing all the talking; me saying 'I love you, please take me back'; me begging her for forgiveness. I always end up returning to her, so why can't she just do the same to me?

Our miniscule conversation creeps it way back to me: _Are we over?_

_I don't know._

If she doesn't know, then how the hell am I suppose to know?

I down the remaining liquid in the glass before me, then signal to the bartender to send another my way.

What I've got figured out is that she's all laid up in bed with a broken heart, while I'm drinking Jack all alone in my local bar, and we don't know how…how we got in to this mad situation; only doing things out of frustration. Trying to make it work, but man, these times are hard.

But screw hard times; that's pretty much the definition of our relationship, and if there's one thing Aria and I can agree on, it's that we kick hard times' ass. Which is exactly what I need to do...

As the realization hits me like a ton of bricks, I slip my jacket on, leave a twenty on the counter top, and push through the glass door out into the crisp, Pennsylvania air.

Aria may not know it, but I do.

I've just now got the feeling that I'm needed, for the first time.

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><p><strong>AN: Ew, ending can be summed up in one word: shit. But it's 1:30 AM, and I wanted this to be over with. Post - 2x02(:**

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**XxLadyStrengthxX**

**P.S. Shout out to my new Twitter friends, pretty. little. soprano and sburke94! :D**


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